


cold hands, warm arms

by sleeperservice



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Flirting, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 05:11:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13652103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeperservice/pseuds/sleeperservice
Summary: She moved closer to Mike, who had been sitting next to her on the bench. It did help. Perhaps it was because he was blocking the wind and the snow that were blowing in. Perhaps. She put her left arm behind his back; the hand warmer was in her right hand. He certainly did have a warm body. She wondered what it would be like snuggled even closer to him.





	cold hands, warm arms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elegantstupidity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantstupidity/gifts).



The decisions of the MLB schedulers were occasionally inexplicable. The one of having the Padres' second road series of the season be in Minnesota was certainly one of them. Schmidt had played for the Twins a few seasons back and claimed that April in Minnesota could feel a lot like April in San Diego ("But more humid," he added, not helpfully,) but this was not one of those Aprils. This was awful. The skies were gloomy and snow was in the forecast. This wasn't what Ginny was used to. None of her stops in the Padres organization had involved snow in April. They had one reliever who had played for the Rockies and another one who had been in the Brewers org last year, assigned to Colorado Springs, and they were trading stories about snow-outs. Apparently the Sky Sox had a reliever who would make videos for his YouTube channel and had been really stoked about making a snow video. Someone had to be. It sure wouldn't have been Ginny.

Livan wasn't dealing well with the weather. Cuba to Minnesota was definitely something else. He was supposed to catch Martinez that night, but he had been begging Mike to do it instead. Ginny thought he was joking, because he had loved catching Martinez during spring training and Livan knew perfectly well that Mike didn't work that well with him, but he apparently wasn't. He was trying to fit a ski mask that was incongruously emblazoned with a Padres logo under his catcher's mask.

"That's not going to work," Mike said. "Pitchers need to see your face, you know."

"Are you sure? I'm scared they won't be able to see my fingers. They are so frozen now. Why did they expect us to take batting practice?" Livan looked at his fingers like he expected to see ice cubes there instead of his hand.

Schmidt passed by. "It's 35 degrees! That's warm!"

Ginny stared at him. "You play third base. What do you know about pitching and catching? I'm just glad I'm not supposed to start in this series."

"Nothing." He turned to Mike. "And aren't you glad you're not starting today, old man?"

"Definitely. I've been spoiled by playing for San Diego so long." Ginny noticed that Mike ignored the "old man" comment.

"We all want to be lucky, to play in San Diego forever," Livan said.

"And we don't want to be unlucky and pitch in Minnesota," Ginny said. She picked up a Padres-branded winter hat and some hand warmers from the piles the equipment manager had put out. Even if the players didn't prepare for the weather, the equipment staff always did.

Mike followed her lead and followed her into the dugout. She could hear Livan complaining to Martinez and a lot of "yeah, yeah" in response. She hoped the bullpen was going to be keeping warm. This pen had entirely too much exposure to the elements for her tastes.

Once the game started, Ginny thought she would be able to get warm. She wasn't hanging on the railing watching the game. She was on the dugout bench with the rest of the fragile flowers. It didn't help. Everyone's petals were turning to ice. She had activated a hand warmer packet. It didn't help. She moved closer to Mike, who had been sitting next to her on the bench. It did help. Perhaps it was because he was blocking the wind and the snow that was blowing in. Perhaps. She put her left arm behind his back; the hand warmer was in her right hand. He certainly did have a warm body. She wondered what it would be like snuggled even closer to him.

Mike seemed to be reading her mind. He put his hand on her knee. "It's colder than you thought, huh?"

"Yes. It is." Ginny tried to keep her teeth from chattering. "I think Livan is turning into a Popsicle."

"Livan, and Martinez's fastball. You'd think he'd be used to this, being from New York and all. Not saying that the Twins are doing any different."

"Lot of diving, lot of passed balls. Nobody's got control out there."

"We wouldn't be any different. And here comes even more snow."

The snow had started blowing around in little loops all over the field and it was starting to stick to the grass. Ginny had never seen a game in progress with so much snow. "Have you ever run into this before?" she asked Mike.

"Series against Colorado that had some snow, and a postponed game, but there wasn't any snow during any of the games. It just decided to pile on between the morning and the start of batting practice." He smiled. "Come on, you can move closer. I don't mind. Really. I'm cold too."

Ginny didn't know what to make of the invitation but she wasn't about to let it go. If he didn't want her arm around him and her thigh next to his, he would definitely tell her to move. She scooted closer. She wished she could snuggle with him but there would probably be a camera poking into the dugout right at that moment. "I'm glad you're cold. I mean, not that you're cold, but that you're okay with me trying to make you...and me...not cold, you know?"

Mike chuckled. "I know what you meant."

They settled in to watch the rest of Martinez's horrible inning. He walked the bases loaded and then gave up a grand slam. It wasn't Livan's fault. He was calling the right things. He even started to look less cold as he kept running back and forth to the mound.

"I'm surprised Al isn't pulling him," Ginny said.

"There's nothing warming in the bullpen. I think he's probably trying to wait out the snow. I think we'll see the tarp come out before one of our relievers comes in."

One of the guys along the rail was pointing at the Twins' dugout. "Twins are throwing snowballs out there! Literal snowballs!"

"See?" Mike said.

"This is a short series. Do you think they really want to play a doubleheader tomorrow? Can we play a doubleheader tomorrow?"

"They'll probably make us come back for an offday in August so we can suffer twice. You heard what Schmidt said about Minnesota summers."

"Everything is like San Diego but more humid." Ginny looked up and saw the grounds crew picking up the tarp and putting it on the field. The dirt was already filled with enough snow; she didn't see how it would help. She untangled herself from Mike and stood up.

"Don't hurry away so soon. If they really do bang this game instead of delaying it, I've got some ideas. There are a couple of bars out here with fireplaces. Want to check out a warm fire?"

"I sure do," Ginny replied. There were other things that she'd like to check out, mostly belonging to Mike Lawson, and she was thinking he had similar things in mind regarding her. All those hints during spring training were fulfilling themselves.

**Author's Note:**

> I know the Twins played the Padres at home last season during September (and had some hockey players throw out the first pitch, too...) so I played fast and loose with the real MLB schedule and with last year's weather. I have been to April games at Target Field where it was 70 degrees and I have been there when it was 32 and snowing...same with minor league games in Iowa. Midwestern Aprils are highly variable.


End file.
